A known sunroof apparatus is disclosed, for example, in JP2005-153803A which will be hereinafter referred to as Reference 1. The sunroof apparatus disclosed in Reference 1, which is a so-called outer sliding sunroof, includes a pair of driving shoes disposed to face each other in a front-rear direction of a vehicle in a state where a movable panel is fully closed (i.e., in a fully closed state). The pair of driving shoes moves in a rear direction of the vehicle along a guide rail so that a tip end of a lifting link rotatably connected to the guide rail is lifted up together with a rear end portion of the movable panel to thereby bring the movable panel to a tilt-up state. In a case where the pair of driving shoes moves further rearward along the guide rail while the movable panel is being tilted up (i.e., in the tilt-up state), a front end portion of the movable panel slides on the guide rail in a state where the lifting link is guided by the movable panel. The movable panel moves in the rear direction of the vehicle in a state where the movable panel is tilted up so as to be brought to a fully open state.
According to the sunroof apparatus disclosed in Reference 1, the lifting link is immovable relative to the guide rail in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Thus, in a case where the movable panel moves in the rear direction during an opening operation of the movable panel, a distance in the front-rear direction between a position (holding position) where the front end portion of the movable panel is held by the guide rail and a position (holding position) where the movable panel is held by the lifting link decreases. Therefore, in the fully open state of the movable panel, the movable panel is virtually supported in a cantilever manner by the lifting link, which may cause a reduction of holding rigidity of the movable panel.
On the other hand, in a case where the distance between the holding position where the front end portion of the movable panel is held by the guide rail and the holding position where the movable panel is held by the lifting link is appropriately secured so as to ensure the holding rigidity of the movable panel in the fully open state thereof, a reduction in moving amount of the movable panel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, i.e., a reduction in opening amount of the movable panel, may be inevitable.
In order to ensure both the holding rigidity and the opening amount of the movable panel, it is proposed to provide the lifting link that is movable in the front-rear direction. Even in such case, however, a possible obstacle such as a peripheral component on a moving locus of the lifting link may restrict the movement of the lifting link. Thus, ensuring both the holding rigidity and the opening amount of the movable panel may be limited.
A need thus exists for a sunroof apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.